FireSmart Community Funding & Supports
Who's eligible?
All local governments and First Nations in British Columbia are eligible to receive support from the UBCM Funding and Supports program.
What's it for?
This funding supports activities that reduce community risk from wildfire, including:
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Wildfire Planning
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Vegetation Management (Fuels and Prescribed Fire)
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Legislation/Bylaws
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Education
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Community Development
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Interagency Cooperation, and
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Cross Training Structural and Wildfire staff
How much is available?
Depending on the degree of wildfire risk in the community, applicants may apply for up to $200,000 per year.
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New this year, applications can extend to 2 years, or up to $400,000 in total.
What's the deadline?
Applications for the 2024 intake open October 1st, 2023 and close December 31, 2024.
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Frontera will be accepting clients for our first round of intakes until the end of October, 2023.
Risk Class & Eligibility
The higher your community's risk class, the more money you're eligible to receive. When applicable, Frontera will advocate for a community to be considered in a higher risk class, and therefore be eligible for more funding. We always fight for our clients to get as much support as possible.
GIS Mapping
CRI requires PDF maps and KML files of community AOI (area of interest) and hectares of eligible WUI (wildland urban interface). Our experienced GIS team is adept at following guidelines to put everything together quickly and efficiently
Supporting Documentation
We put together all the required supporting documents, such as previous CWRP/CWPP, FMPs to support treatment, FireSmart plans or assessments, etc
Planning & Budgeting
Frontera works with your community to determine the best activities to apply for based on your risk and any past wildfire/FireSmart work. We develop budgets for all line items, including more complex budgets such as hiring a FireSmart coordinator and critical infrastructure mitigation work.
Correspondence
All applications must be developed in collaboration with BCWS (for local governments) or FNESS (for First Nations). We take the lead on all relevant correspondence, reviews and revisions by proactively reaching out to the appropriate organization for advice and revisions. This can involve lengthy email chains, phone calls, etc.
Revisions
We carry out any and all required revisions and continue correspondence with UBCM until the application is approved. If needed, we go to bat for our clients to advocate for a better funding outcome.
Post-approval Meetings
Once approved, we are happy to support the community by attending post-approval meetings. We're experienced at providing ongoing support and education to multiple levels of your community.
Final Reporting
When CRI final reporting is due, we're happy to continue assisting your community to ensure all your documents are submitted.
Getting started is easy
Our knowledgeable team will guide you through the whole process.
Book a free consult:
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Review your community's risk class and funding eligibility
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Determine the main risks and concerns for your community
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Get recommendations about which grant activities to pursue